|
Announcing Auditions for
|
ABOUT THE PLAY:
Steel Magnolias is a Tony nominated play by Robert Harling, based on his experience with the death of his sister. Steel Magnolias opened Off-Broadway in 1987 before moving to the Lucille Lortel Theatre on Broadway, where it ran for 3 years and closed in 1990 after 1126 performances. Nicole Kidman made her professional stage debut in the first Australian production in 1988. The play was adapted as a film in 1989, earning a brilliant Julia Roberts her first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Shelby.
Steel Magnolias is a heartfelt, humorous, and deeply moving play that celebrates the strength, resilience, and fierce love between a close-knit group of Southern women. Set in a small-town Louisiana beauty salon, this play is both a love letter to female friendship and a powerful exploration of grief, hope, and laughter in the face of life’s most difficult challenges.
Character Breakdown
* All roles are female-presenting. The age ranges listed below are meant to give performers a point of reference. The actors will be asked to read with a Southern, Louisiana accent without caricature.
Truvy (40s): Owner of the beauty shop. She is vivacious and wise beyond her years. She has a heart of gold but has been dealt some hard knocks. Truvy is kind, caring, and resilient.
Annelle (early 20s): A young hairstylist, when the play begins she is applying to Truvy’s beauty salon for a job. Very good at heart, at times she gets overzealous with her religious beliefs. A lovable, sweet girl, Annelle is shy, private, and creative.
Clairee (60s to early 70s): Grand dame. Elegant, sophisticated, intelligent, and very witty. The former “First Lady of Chinquapin,” from a wealthy and distinguished famil, she is described as having “a smart mouth” and also has a self-deprecating type of humor as she frequently makes fun of herself.
Shelby (mid-20s): M’Lynn’s daughter. Shelby is the “prettiest girl in town.” She is strong-willed, pretty, and passionate. Shelby is free-spirited and tends to speak her mind, which often brings her into conflict with her mother.
M’Lynn (late 40s to 50s): Shelby’s mother. M’Lynn is practical, intelligent, and loving. She is passionate and stubborn about her daughter. This role requires the ability to balance emotional restraint with explosive grief—delivered with authenticity, control, and nuance.
Ouiser (60s to early 70s): A wealthy curmudgeon, she is acerbic but ultimately lovable. She can be sardonic, sarcastic, snarky, and stinging – but a good, kind, and caring woman exists beneath the veneer of a brittle older woman. This role requires a strong sense of comic timing.
Annelle (early 20s): A young hairstylist, when the play begins she is applying to Truvy’s beauty salon for a job. Very good at heart, at times she gets overzealous with her religious beliefs. A lovable, sweet girl, Annelle is shy, private, and creative.
Clairee (60s to early 70s): Grand dame. Elegant, sophisticated, intelligent, and very witty. The former “First Lady of Chinquapin,” from a wealthy and distinguished famil, she is described as having “a smart mouth” and also has a self-deprecating type of humor as she frequently makes fun of herself.
Shelby (mid-20s): M’Lynn’s daughter. Shelby is the “prettiest girl in town.” She is strong-willed, pretty, and passionate. Shelby is free-spirited and tends to speak her mind, which often brings her into conflict with her mother.
M’Lynn (late 40s to 50s): Shelby’s mother. M’Lynn is practical, intelligent, and loving. She is passionate and stubborn about her daughter. This role requires the ability to balance emotional restraint with explosive grief—delivered with authenticity, control, and nuance.
Ouiser (60s to early 70s): A wealthy curmudgeon, she is acerbic but ultimately lovable. She can be sardonic, sarcastic, snarky, and stinging – but a good, kind, and caring woman exists beneath the veneer of a brittle older woman. This role requires a strong sense of comic timing.
|
| ||||
| Ouiser_Claree_Annelle_Shelby_side_2.pdf |
| Mlynn_and_Shelby_side_3.pdf |
| Mlynn_and_Annelle_side_4.pdf |
| Ouiser_Claree_with_Shelby_and_Truvy_side_5.pdf |